Labour Party zones presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria Region

Politics

ABUJA, NIGERIA (NPA) — March 25, 2026: Nigeria’s opposition party, the Labour Party (LP) has announced that its presidential ticket for the 2027 general election will be zoned to the southern region of Nigeria.

Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja after a meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and leaders of political parties. The meeting focused on reviewing INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for the 2027 elections.

Usman explained that while the ticket remains open to credible aspirants, the party has resolved not to field any candidate from the North.

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“We have taken one clear decision: we will not field any aspirant from Northern Nigeria. The position has been zoned to Southern Nigeria,” she said.

She emphasized that the party would uphold internal democracy, noting that the eventual candidate would emerge through the primaries.

“I cannot tell you who the candidate will be right now because that would no longer be democratic,” she added.

On preparations for the party congresses scheduled to begin Thursday, Usman hinted at a possible shift due to the surge in new membership.

“If we stick to that date, we risk disenfranchising many new members. We may need to sit together as a group and agree on a new date,” she said.

Usman also welcomed a recent court ruling in Yenagoa that dismissed a leadership challenge against the party, describing it as lacking merit.

“Anybody can claim to be chairman and go to court, but the court found they had no locus standi and threw it out. The case is now over,” she stated.

Addressing the recent attack on a party office, she confirmed that a formal petition has been submitted to the Nigeria Police Force and expressed confidence that the culprits would be brought to justice.

On membership registration, Usman urged Nigerians to embrace the party’s digital platform.

“I call on members to use their phones to register. Manual registration is only for those in remote areas without internet access,” she explained.

Earlier, she commended INEC for its briefing on the new Electoral Act 2026, noting that the session was crucial for helping parties comply with requirements such as timely uploading of candidate names and adherence to new regulations.